Umpired at the Australian Open - this year we had a charming Belgian referee, who I am told was as tough as nails, but we seemed to get along. I umpired a women's semi-final on finals day - not bad for a state or provincial umpire.

I again entered the local district championships this year. I attempted to get a little more practice in, but was foiled by a lack of turnout at my club. I went along 3 times in the 2 weeks leading up to the event, as well as running & participating in the Saturday social afternoon. This time I got out of my group in division 2, beating a combination long pipper (grass d-tecs) and a junior looper. In the semifinal I lost to a more consistent looper 1-3. In division 1 I played the same combination long pipper and lost a game or 2 along the way to beating him before losing to one of the better division 1 players. For the minimal, not very inspiring extra practice, I did surprisingly well. In the morning, I also had a practice game against the eventual runner up of division 1 and acquitted my self well.

This year I also hung around and umpired all the money matches. There was $A2,000 on offer split between the winners & runners up of what was called the premier singles & doubles. Tatsuya Hidaka defeated Chris Yan in the singles.

Looks like I will be umpiring at the upcoming National Juniors on October 4 & Bennelong Cup 23 & 24 October.

Last Saturday afternoon one of the not so regulars that come along mentioned enjoying this blog. Can't remember whether I told him about it or not. He agrees that how I play is retrieving not chopping. Just chuffed that someone I know a bit in Real Life (TM) has read the blog and appreciates it.

I don't know that I have a favourite serve. Being left handed and playing a lot of social doubles with lesser players, my most common serve is a fairly high toss no-spin back hand serve. Last Saturday, one of the juniors (he just got his first non-premade bat: Yasaka extra + Mark V if you must know, on my advice) thought that I had very few different serves, so when I played against him in doubles, I did as many different serves as I could, in 2 games. It was a little unfair as he is still getting used to his new setup.

In competition, my go to serve would be a shortish back spin to their back hand, varying the amount of back spin from all out to almost none. Unless, that is they are teeing off on it of course.

I don't particularly practise serves (or anything much really these days unfortunately).

My 14yo daughter has decided to do table tennis for Duke of Edinburgh award. She has turned up to the Saturday afternoon session a couple of times. She is an absolute beginner. She used her brother's equipment those times. I got her a premade for Christmas (yeah I know). However she has just gotten out of hospital from a knee reconstruction yesterday. My daughter has unfortunately inherited my knees - I had a reconstruction when I was 22. She will be in a leg brace for 6 weeks.

Guess what I did in between saying goodbye to her for her op and seeing her afterwards. Funeral for a sometime table tennis player.

Saturday afternoon sessions stopped on 20th December and restart on 7th February.

In non table tennis related news, although it will have an effect on my table tennis (understatement), my wife has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be having a mastectomy tomorrow. I may be a little scarce here for a while, surprisingly enough.

Since last update have had 1 hit at the Saturday afternoon practice - 1st hit in 2 months - still have most of my touch etcetera. Hope to go there again tomorrow.

The SNDTTA (local district association) has had its AGM. On advice from TTNSW and local equipment suppliers it was decided to stick with the celluloid ball for the upcoming autumn competition which goes until the middle of the year, then revisit the ball decision. Then at the 1st committee meeting someone wanted to revisit that decision but was shot down.

My local club also attempted to have its AGM, but only 3 of us turned up. That has been rescheduled to mid March.

The table tennis table has been resurrected at home, and to my surprise sons 2 & 3 were playing the other night. Son 2 I was not surprised at as he has been playing reasonably regularly over the last 3 years, but son 3 had never shown any interest. With daughter 1 still recovering from her knee reconstruction and son 2 having finished his Duke of Ed commitment to playing I thought that there would be lean times.

Went as usual to the Saturday afternoon social that I help run, with my 14 (& 1/2) y. o. daughter, her second time after the knee surgery. She and I started out hitting with each other. Nothing much to say here, her normal "pat it back most of the time" game. Towards the end of the time there after a few doubles matches etc, I was again hitting with her and she just out of the blue hit a push come chop shot on her forehand which went on, and then a few more and more. They are still relatively high, but with a fair bit of back spin. She seems to have caught "the bug". The back hand is more of a block at the moment, but she still tries to get back spin on it.

She probably will never reach any great heights with TT, but yesterday she asked to have a hit at home for the first time.

She is also doing TT at high school for sport and has asked me to help some of her friends from there get better, maybe next weekend or the one after.

On the subject of the Saturday afternoon sessions, they have been less popular this year so far, so we may have to do something about it.

<non-table tennis news>Just got out of hospital after having an endoscopy to clean gall stones & debris from my bile duct. Am looking forward (not) to having my gall bladder removed on Monday.

Have a doctor's certificate till Friday week.

Symptoms were pain in the upper abdomen after eating.

Spent 4 mornings last week seeing a GP, a phlebotomist, an ultrasonographer, same GP, surgeon, different phlebotomist, MRI giver. Spent this week seeing the surgeon again, the anaesthetist, pre-admission for Monday, having the endoscopy yesterday and got home this morning.

Expecting a phone call from the hospital with final instructions for Monday, give myself a shower on Sunday night, using their pre-op wash in my umbilicus (belly button) & give myself a suppository if constipated, have another shower using their pre-op wash Monday morning.

Hadn't caught your blog in some time obviously Retriever (I usually only read the active topics most days). Glad to hear your wife got through ok. How's she doing now?

Sounds like you've had your own battle in the last few days (or is it weeks with undiagnosed gall stones? ) Good luck on the recovery. I think more TT is the key to keeping the illnesses away, not less. So Dr. Reb says play more when you can!

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